Display units that illuminate logos and other symbols are well known and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, commercial signs have long used lights in various configurations to form symbols and to illuminate signs. Neon lights are a particular example of such commercial signs. Although neon lights prominently form symbols, they are expensive and are not well suited to portable displays because of their inability to absorb forces without breaking and their power requirements. As such, neon lights and similar lighted signs are typically permanently fixed to a support body, such as a building. Less permanent signs are also known that illuminate symbols. These versions typically use strings of lights, such as those used for holiday lighting, in an arrangement to form symbols, logos, or decorative patterns. The strings of lights are commonly attached to support surfaces using semi-permanent attachment devices such as clips or hooks.
Portable lighted signs and symbols are also known. An example of a conventional portable illuminated symbol is a detachable vehicle sign, such as used by many pizza delivery drivers. These portable displays tend to use strings of lights or small light bulbs organized in a particular pattern. Strings of lights, however, tend to become tangled and are time consuming to hang and remove. Further, both strings of lights and light bulbs tend to bum out and require replacement of individual bulbs. In addition, the structures and attachment mechanisms for such systems are often bulky and heavy.
Improvements over neon lights, strings of lights, and other light bulb arrangements have been proposed for creating substantially permanent symbols and designs. These include rope lights hung in a manner similar to holiday lights, such as from a building. A rope light is a generally linear, flexible light unit that is particularly durable and that includes an elongated cylinder resembling a rope having lights embedded therein. The elongated cylinder is typically made of a flexible plastic material that is translucent or transparent. Conventional light units that use rope lights to form designs include rope lights attached to wire or another formative body that retains the rope light in a particular shape. However, previous units have not provided mobile displays for taking advantage of the benefits of rope lights. Further, previous designs have used rope lights alone to form a particular linear symbol or design, rather than in conjunction with other display materials.